The Trinity
by Blue Dragon X
Summary: Braska's pilgrimage with Auron and Jecht through thier eyes, from when they first met to fighting the Final Aeon. Twist and turns are taken from the original story, and previously unknown truths about their story are revealed... (Thanks for the feedback)
1. Departure

The Trinity: Chapter One  
  
By Blue Dragon

(In an **Authors Note**, Events regarding parts of this story are going to be slightly different than in the game, such as Braska's wife, for instance. My first attempt at an individual FFX story, enjoy.)

There I was, in front of my own son, about to merge with Sin and have to fight, Auron, Yuna, and his Beaver friends. Well, that evil part of Sin with the ability to refract time turned to me; I could see one of its many eyes from that pool of lava. I could feel it saying, "Reflect on the past". I didn't know exactly what it meant, but in a minute I was back to ten years and a few months ago, looking at myself, reliving my past . . . what a wild ride that was. By the way, my name's Jecht.  
  
Braska is my name. I never expected what the next ten years would bring . . .  
  
I was in the Bevelle Temple, a young man, married with one young daughter named Yuna. It was that day, that I became a full-fledged summoner, the day that Sin had attacked Besaid and parts of Luca on the Mi'ihen Highroad. My teacher, a woman named Illia, was giving me my final test. One of the only things that made me, Braska, shake, was passing the final test of summoning an aeon! Because I lived in Bevelle, I had to try summoning Bahamut before I could be considered a summoner; I had only recently completed the trial.  
  
Anyway, there I was sanding in front of the Bevelle temple with about eleven people, priests and monks, preparing to judge my skill. Illia was tapping her foot next to me, and I held my staff nervously as I prepared to summon. The stone platform at the foot of hundreds of stairs didn't seem like enough space to begin, but I trusted my advisors and started anyway.  
  
As I twirled my staff to begin my first summoning, I felt a stab of guilt for not telling anyone about my Al Bhed wife, I didn't know if they would still let me become a summoner if I had told them . . .  
  
"Braska, are you ready?" Illia asked me for the second time, very gently. She was always very gentle, which made her a good teacher. Her deep dark eyes and short black hair contradicted her gentle soul, however.  
  
"Yes ma'am. May I begin?"  
  
She nodded and I breathed a deep breath, and began to spin my staff around, to the side, to the left, and around again. Then I twirled it eight times fast and stopped. A wave of fear washed over me as nothing happened. Had I failed? Then, out of the blue, a Yu Yevon symbol appeared above me and the holy men gasped. From up above the mighty aeon Bahamut roared, shaking the temple. He then descended at a horribly fast speed, stopping in front of me, and landing hard on the ground, shaking the place and making cracks in the stone.  
  
I saw, in the flesh, Bahamut. He was a large thing, a black dragon with the mesmerizing symbol on his back, the sharp teeth, and the piercing eyes. He stood upright on two legs and it made him look rather sentient.  
  
I, of course, was scared beyond belief. You see, they don't tell you what the aeons will look like, it is supposed to test the summoners' judgment. I saw that aeon stare at me, bare its teeth and growl, and then it slammed its claw down on me, and I cowered in fear.  
  
I thought I would be crushed, but then I noticed its claw land in front of me, and open. For a moment I saw the small boy that was the fayth, smile at me. I climbed onto its claw and Bahamut dropped me on its shoulder, and from the aeon I felt wonderful warmth.  
  
"My name is Braska," I said, semi-nervously.  
  
I could have sworn that the aeon nodded, and looked around as if for signs of danger.  
  
Illia looked elated and very excited.  
  
"Wonderful, Braska! You are no longer an apprentice!"  
  
"He has some talent. He summoned Bahamut on the first try!" a monk observed.  
  
I felt on top of the world, that maybe I stood a chance at defeating Sin. That was the day my life came crumbling down.

  
:::::::

My name is Auron; I was a young warrior monk in Bevelle. At the time I was at a pub, waiting for a high priest with the other warriors. He had asked us to gather at the dingy pub near the side of town off the streets to announce a very important announcement. I wasn't thinking about that though, I was waiting for my friend, Braska. He was having his first summoning, and I knew he had probably failed the test, as it was his first.  
  
I was sitting at a small table in the corner, away from the crowds when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned towards the source and saw the person, a fellow monk, with a friendly look.  
  
"Yes?" I asked as politely as I could.  
  
"You hear about the guy arrested?"  
  
"No, tell me." I said sarcastically.  
  
He didn't take the hint and continued.  
  
"A guy was arrested for being drunk in the streets, from the edge all the way to the temple."  
  
"How did he navigate if he was drunk?"  
  
"He walked fine, but he claimed he was from Zanarkand."  
  
I laughed at that.  
  
"No one lives in those ruins, and no one has for 990 years."  
  
"He claims it's a big metropolis full of people, an he needs a way to get back."  
  
I shook my head.  
  
"The people walking the streets are getting crazier and crazier."  
  
"Hello Lijah" It was Kinoc, one of my fellow warriors. He sat down next to me.  
  
"Hello Kinoc, I wish I could talk but I promised the bartender I'd help her in the back . . . "  
  
"Chasing after girls again?" Kinoc asked, half joking.  
  
Lijah smiled.  
  
"You know it."  
  
Kinoc turned to me as he left.  
  
"How's it going buddy? Why do you think we were called here by that old geezer of a priest"?  
  
"You shouldn't say such things about the high priest" I said, turning away.  
  
As if emphasizing my point, the priest arrived through the doors with two soldiers, and his daughter.  
  
I didn't even know her name, but she was a beautiful girl. She caught the eye of every man in the pub easily with her golden hair falling below her shoulders, those wonderful twinkling green eyes that seemed to look at you from any angle, and there were those absolutely adorable dimples that could make my heart skip a beat. Of course I had rarely seen her, and as I said, didn't even know her name.  
  
"You all, my warrior monks" the priest began. "I have a very special announcement. Warrior Auron, one of our most valuable members, has been chosen to marry my daughter."  
  
My heart stopped and the room was silent. The beautiful girl who had once been smiling looked very worried.  
  
I know now that it wasn't because she didn't like me, but she didn't even know me. And that was the same reason I was nervous. But what could I say? I would probably have to marry her.  
  
Sure she was beautiful, but who WAS this woman? I didn't even know her name!  
  
The pub burst out into applause and I felt my face turning red, not from embarrassment, but because my face reddens when I am nervous.  
  
I didn't know whether I was nervous about what the priest's daughter thought of me, or what I might have had to do next.  
  
"When will the marriage be?" I asked weakly, settling uncomfortably in me seat.  
  
"Three days! Most of the preparations have been made. I wouldn't have chosen anyone but you, Auron."  
  
Three days wasn't enough. I knew what I was about to do, and I knew that no one would like it.

::::::::

"Let me go!" There I was, a man from Zanarkand, Jecht the star blitzball player being dragged through the streets by his shoulders to prison. How had I gotten into this mess?  
  
I was walking freely and prestigiously through the streets of Zanarkand, the buildings towering high into the air beside me. It was the dead of night, the stars were everywhere in the sky, and the lights shone from any source. Crowds gathered around me and people whispered about the blitzball star, Jecht, me. I was on my way to my private boat to get some of my "special training" done. (Those nimrods actually thought I spent the time training, I was really just being lazy).  
  
Anyway, I made my way down the highly advanced streets, everyone making way for me, the hero, blitzball in hand. It was a while before I reached my boat at the docks, I was busy signing autographs and lovin' every minute of it.  
  
When I did reach my boat, I lay my blitzball down on the hard wooden deck and said goodbye to my fans. Volunteers undocked the boat, and I set sail to seclusion, waving goodbye to the roaring crowds. That was when the freaky stuff started.  
  
I was lying on my ass doing absolutely nothing on the deck of the ship when I heard a rumbling sound, and out of the sea this monster comes out. Not just any monster, Sin, although I didn't know it at the time (and I still don't know why Sin was in that time period).  
  
Sin, as you know, is a monstrous thing as long as a couple of football stadiums and as wide as one of them. That horrible face is dotted with the hundreds of eyes, that big, gaping toothless mouth, the two fins, and that monstrous gray tail. You could imagine me losin' it when I saw it. I tried blitzing it, it's back was to me when it rose out of the water.  
  
"What is it!? Help!" I yelled, but no help came. My mind flashed back to my wife and kid.  
  
Then, the thing turned and looked at me, with about twenty of its eyes. Then, it started to fly above.  
  
"Y-you'd better run!" I yelled, my heart pounding.  
  
Then, as if in defiance, the bottom of it opened up like a hole, I lost consciousness, and I woke up outside of Bevelle, finding from a local source that I was 1000 years in the future. Everyone kept telling me that Zanarkand was destroyed 990 years ago, but I was stupid and didn't listen, and I walked around the streets boasting where I was from, and then arrested. So that explained my situation, being dragged down the streets to a prison.  
  
"Let me go!" I yelled again, trying to move my arms that were tied up. I may have been a blitz star, but I was still no match for these guards who had me practically hogtied. Crowds stared at me and shook their heads, which is something that crowds had never done to me before.  
  
"I'm from Zanarkand, I tells ya!" I yelled, simply making the people laugh, and some even looked upset.  
  
I found myself in front of a very fancy looking building, dragged inside to a beautiful exterior. The floor was of white marble at the entrance, but the rest wasn't as great. I was dragged finally to an empty cell, the only one in the place, and thrown in.  
  
One guard smiled and pushed a button that slammed criss-cross bars made of some primitive material in front of me.  
  
"You call this a prison!? Back in Zanarkand, you had a trial immediately! In Zanarkand, there were forty times this many cells and prisoners! Back in Zanarkand, the bars weren't crappy like this!" I started trying to break the bars but they were surprisingly hard. One guard left and the other one stayed to stand guard.  
  
"So tell me more about Zanarkand," he asked mockingly.  
  
"Well, the bars for prisons there were made of pulse-sonic lasers!"  
  
He started laughing crazily and began rolling around on the ground, but he wouldn't have been laughing if he had known what I had planned.

::::::::::

I was walking home, currently in the residential area, with a big smile on my face. The metal streets and colorful buildings bordered my left and right and became thicker and denser as I made my way to my residence.  
  
My Al Bhed wife, Meilinna, was waiting for me undoubtedly. I hadn't told anyone she was Al Bhed yet, or even let her come out openly. I had even had to sneak her into Bevelle after I first met her when I was training in Macalania.  
  
She joked that I was ashamed of her, and also that I was cheating on her with Illia, and of course it wasn't true. She was a lovely woman that loved to joke, complimented by her bright orange hair and the swirls in her green eyes that I always loved. She always had a smile on her face and didn't mind the fact that I was a man with a gentle nature.  
  
I would announce her heritage and my marriage to her today, for it had been secret. I had warned her not to go out, but she never listened . . . why didn't she listen? Little Yuna was at a friend's house, as not to draw attention. I didn't want anyone thinking I had an illegitimate daughter.  
  
I neared my house, which was among three others in an alley between two large buildings.  
  
When I turned my key and opened the door, I didn't find Meilinna stretched out on any furniture as usual. I listened for her, for she was sometimes washing, but heard nothing. Then, I did hear something, the sound of sobbing. It wasn't very loud, but light.  
  
I wound my way through the halls, and slowly opened the door, to find my wife sitting on the bed with her head in her hands, sobbing. I could only see the right side of her face at the time.  
  
The lights weren't on, the windows were closed, and the air was damp. As a matter of fact, the room looked as if it hadn't been touched. As I inched through the doorway she didn't even seem to notice me standing there.  
  
"Meilinna? My dear, what's the matter?"  
  
She tried to stop crying.  
  
"Braska, I'm so sorry. I only went out briefly to pick up a few groceries . . . you know that it was right across the street. It was only quick."  
  
I became nervous.  
  
"I know I asked you not to go out, but I forgive you," I said slowly. I didn't know why I had even tried, because I knew that wasn't the reason she was crying. Her soft voice was even softer than usual, barely audible. I doubt I would have been able to hear her hadn't the place been completely silent.  
  
I carefully walked in front of her and kneeled, and I noticed she tried to turn away.  
  
I took great care in removing her hand from the left side of her face, and gasped. She was black and blue, her lip swollen and her eye black. I also noticed that her clothes were ruffled and torn.  
  
"Great Yevon!"  
  
"I was so close to home . . . outside a group of men they-they found out I was Al Bhed and then they-" now she was sobbing uncontrollably.  
  
"It was fifteen minutes before I could break away and get inside"  
  
"Meilinna! Who did this to you!? I will report them to the authorities!"  
  
"I didn't get a good look" she curled up on the bed. "They saw I was Al Bhed . . . " the crying still didn't stop.  
  
My happiness crumbled, I would protect Spira, but had failed to protect my wife. I had to reprove myself, somehow. Was that the reason I went out and fought Sin? Then, all I knew was that I had to leave the next day, I couldn't find myself having second thoughts. But first things were always first, I had to find Auron. The problem then was the thought of leaving Meilinna alone.  
  
She was practically my whole world. If this could happen to her while I was in another part of the city, then could she make it on her own when I was fighting Sin?  
  
Of course children, husbands, and wives of summoners get pay benefits, insurance, etc. to ensure basic financial security, but no money could replace the love that only existed when I was around. If a brief separation could lead to what had happened . . . I almost decided to quit my pilgrimage before it began, and that was why I had to leave tomorrow, before having any second thoughts.

:::::::::

I took a deep breath.  
  
"Priest, I don't even know your daughter, not her name, anything. I request a year at the least to get to know her" I tried to stall what I would have to say eventually.  
  
"The arrangements have been made, the wedding must be carried out in less than three weeks."  
  
I sighed.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I must refuse"  
  
The entire crowd went completely silent, and the priest's daughter's face looked relieved, and she mouthed the words "thank you".  
  
The high priest looked at me, then everyone else, and with his daughter, left abruptly. Most of the other monks gave me weird looks and left as well. Kinoc remained with me, in a few minutes everyone but the two of us had left.  
  
"Auron?" he asked, looking up while leaning back in the chair.  
  
"Are you crazy? How could you refuse the hand of a woman like that! She was beautiful!"  
  
" . . . I don't even know her, Kinoc."  
  
"So?"  
  
I looked at him sharply.  
  
"There is no way that it would have worked for long. Besides, I am soon to be a guardian of Apprentice Summoner Braska, I wouldn't be much of a husband if I had to leave on a life-threatening trip!"  
  
"I guess you are right . . . shouldn't you be seeing him now?"  
  
"True. Are you coming?"  
  
Kinoc shook his head.  
  
"I have business."  
  
"Fine. Later then?"  
  
"See you later, Auron."  
  
Kinoc and I parted, and I walked out of the pub and down the darkening streets towards the residence of Braska to consol him a bit as he had probably failed his first test.  
  
But, of course, in a few minutes I saw Braska turn a corner and jog towards me.  
  
"Braska!" I waved, giving one of my rare smiles. I'm not grumpy or withdrawn, but for some reason smiling and acting isn't my forte.  
  
Braska stopped in front of me, leaning on the side of a convenience store as his garments blew in the cool wind.  
  
"Auron, how are you?" he asked, looking as if he were disturbed.  
  
"Braska? You have a funny look on your face."  
  
"I'm fine . . . you have that same look, you know."  
  
"So how'd you do?"  
  
"On what?"  
  
"You're test!"  
  
"Oh, I passed."  
  
I couldn't believe he said it so casually. It was extremely rare for someone to pass a summoning on their first test.  
  
"You . . . passed?"  
  
"Yes. I summoned Bahamut."  
  
"That-that's incredible! Good going!"  
  
"Auron, we have to start my pilgrimage tomorrow."  
  
"Tomorrow? So soon?"  
  
"Yes . . . "  
  
"Braska, something happened, tell me!"  
  
"It's about my wife."  
  
I raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Your wife? You don't have a wife."  
  
"You got married behind my back!? Why didn't you tell me! I would have been your best man! Was I the only one that didn't know?"  
  
"No one in Bevelle knew, Auron."  
  
"Why in Spira . . .?"  
  
"She is Al Bhed."  
  
My heart stopped.  
  
"Braska, I have nothing against Al Bhed, but are you CRAZY?"  
  
"No, what I feel isn't insanity."  
  
"Then what?"  
  
"It's called love, Auron. And if you were in it then you might understand where craziness comes in."  
  
I had no response to that.  
  
"So, we're going to leave so soon?" I said eventually.  
  
"What, you aren't ready?"  
  
"No, no, I just thought we might want to find another guardian is all."  
  
"Why is that?"  
  
"The two of us won't be able to handle all of the fiends, will we?"  
  
I shrugged.  
  
"Then we may as well start looking."

::::::

I braced myself, and faced the bars, and then ran at full speed, feeling the satisfying buckling of the weak bars that had "held me in". The sleeping guard snapped awake and fumbled for his primitive firearm, something that shot a harpoon.  
  
I sprinted through the building towards the exit, and when I dove through the doorway I found four soldiers with more dangerous looking weapons pointed at me.  
  
I immediately stood up and put my hands up.  
  
"Hey, you don't want to hurt the star player of the Zanarkand Abes!" I negotiated.  
  
One soldier walked up and turned me around, then marched me back to my cell. As I walked with my hands up, he poked me in the bum with his gun.  
  
"Watch it Bubba!"  
  
He poked me even harder and shoved me back into the cell, and immediately they put bars on my cage twice as thick and numerous, and assigned three guards.  
  
Now, you'd think this would have stopped me, but the great Jecht wasn't through yet!

:::::::::

I was wondering what was wrong with Auron, he wasn't talking and he had a funny look on his face.  
  
"Auron, what's wrong with you?" I asked as we turned the corner.  
  
"You know the high priest's daughter?"  
  
"The really hot one?"  
  
Auron stared at me.  
  
"I thought you said you were married."  
  
"Don't change the subject."  
  
"I refused her hand in marriage."  
  
I stopped in my tracks. Now it was my turn to ask the eternally paradoxical question.  
  
"Are you crazy?"  
  
"No, what I feel isn't insanity" Auron said, mimicking my words.  
  
"Then what?"  
  
"It's called the LACK of love. I don't even know that woman."  
  
"Forgive me for sounding crude, but, what's love got to do with it? What's love but a second-hand emotion? I mean, what's love got to do with it!? Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?"  
  
"That doesn't sound like you, Braska" Auron told me as we walked around yet another corner, surprised to be confronted with a large group of people, all looking at us vehemently as we walked past.  
  
"What's this about?" I whispered to Auron.  
  
I heard side conversations about Auron refusing the hand of the priests' daughter, and I heart other ones about me being married to an Al Bhed.  
  
"Word has spread quickly" Auron muttered.  
  
It is probably predictable what happened next. No one wanted to be on a pilgrimage with us, the new talk of Bevelle, the two immoral ones, so of course I couldn't find another guardian and was beginning to get worried.  
  
I sat down on the bench at one of the many parks, Auron by my side sharpening his gigantic katana.  
  
"Auron, have you noticed that I couldn't find a guardian at all?" I asked.  
  
Auron nodded and didn't look up.  
  
"At this rate, we'll have to drag one from prison" he said sarcastically.  
  
Auron looked at me and saw the large smile on my face.  
  
"Oh no! Not that guy that got arrested!"  
  
"So there's someone, huh?" I asked, looking up.  
  
Auron covered his big mouth, realizing his mistake.  
  
"Braska, if we take someone from prison we'll go from being the immoral duo to the immoral trio!"  
  
I shrugged as a woman walked passed us giving a dirty look, and then a couple of other women walked by.  
  
"I hear that he even had a kid with that filthy Al Bhed woman" she whispered unusually loudly, as if to insult me.  
  
"As you can see, Auron, we have no other choice." I said, motioning to the retreating couple.  
  
At that moment a group of half a dozen warrior monks walked over from the paved path, excluding Kinoc. They had a confident stride, and didn't have their weapons. They just basically looked like they were out for trouble.  
  
"If it isn't Auron the Celibate and Braska the Unholy" one mocked.  
  
"Can you believe he actually screwed an Al Bhed?" Another one asked.  
  
"You know she was just in it for the money."  
  
"Back off!", commanded Auron, sharpening his katana with more power.  
  
"What authority do you have?" the big-mouthed one asked.  
  
"He'd probably have more if he got a girl."  
  
Auron stood up quickly, and I put a hand on his shoulder, so he just sat back down.  
  
"That trashy girl you married can't love you for you" another one began, grinding my nerves.  
  
"In the end, she's just like all Al Bhed women, a whore."  
  
I grabbed my staff and leaped up, losing my composure and decorum in a flash. Fortunately, Auron was faster than me and grabbed me back, and the warrior monks started walking off chatting about us.  
  
We were both breathing heavily.  
  
"May Yevon help them if I found out they were the ones that battered and abused my wife." I said through clenched teeth.  
  
Auron's eyes got wide.  
  
"So that's what happened. You should go to the authorities about that."  
  
I shook my head.  
  
"They'll ignore me. I just hope she can learn self defense . . . her brother, a man named Cid, would seek justice even if it took him a lifetime. Why can't I be like him?"  
  
Auron looked down.  
  
"How about we go get that guy out of prison, and then meet your wife."  
  
I calmed down.  
  
"Why is he in prison?"  
  
"Kinoc told me that he claimed he was from Zanarkand and assumed a drunkard"  
  
"Don't you think he will hate my wife as well?" I asked miserably.  
  
"If you bail him out, I doubt it."  
  
I shrugged.  
  
"Then lets go and add to our immoral party, the immoral trio, huh?"  
  
Auron nodded.  
  
"Immoral Three, strangely fitting."

::::::::

I sat down in my cell that was twice as thick with three times the guards. Night was falling, and I didn't want to have to sleep in here.  
  
They said my sentence was almost up, but I wanted to make an honorable escape, being let out on account of good behavior simply isn't my style.  
  
I took out my knife that I had hid behind my back until then and began making incisions on key parts of the weak bars that seemed to be made out of bamboo. After that I rammed my body into it and heard them creak.  
  
The guards looked up, and then went back to talking to each other. This was to assure them that my bars wouldn't bust. Then, I made cuts on the upper left, right, and lower right of the bars, and slowly opened the cage. A guard was around the corner, poking his gun at me.  
  
"That's another six hours for you, bub. And I was just going to let you out, too."  
  
I growled in anger as I was marched back into my cage, and stripped of my knife. Then I watched in horror as they made the bars three times as thick and numerous, and assigned five guards. I was confident now that I wouldn't escape, and would have to stay here for another six miserable hours.  
  
Then, I heard knocking on the building, and a guard walked across the floor, brushed off his garments, and opened it with a yawn.  
  
I now noticed that it was nighttime outside. A man with long black hair, weird flowing garments, and a staff at his side walked in, followed by a man with short black hair, a grumpy look on his face, a katana at his side, black pants and chest armor, and a long red coat with sleeves a little too wide. The back of the coat went down to his feet.  
  
"Summoner, Braska . . . ? Why are you in the jail?" A guard asked him.  
  
"I was wondering if you had any prisoners to offer. I need another guardian and wanted to arrange for one of their releases."  
  
The short-haired one whispered to the long-haired one: "They must not have heard about us yet", although I don't know how the guard didn't catch it.  
  
"All we have is this drunkard, who calls himself Jecht." He said, motioning to me.  
  
The guy named Braska walked up to my cell.  
  
"How would you like to be released, and in return, but my guardian?" he asked me.  
  
I, of course, didn't know what a guardian was, but nodded anyway.  
  
"What's the catch?"  
  
"None."  
  
"Please, a drunkard?" The other one asked.  
  
"Damn straight!" I yelled.  
  
"Watch your tongue, naïve." He responded, looking at me.  
  
Braska turned away from me.  
  
"A summoner wed to an Al Bhed, a warrior monk who refused the hand of the high priest's daughter, and a drunkard in prison. Wouldn't it be the sweetest of ironies if we defeated Sin?"  
  
"Quit yappin' and get me outta here!"  
  
One of the guards took a bluish sphere from the counter.  
  
"This thing was still on!? Damn, there goes all my space."  
  
He placed it forcefully into the palm of the guy with the shorter hair.  
  
"Here, take it as a memento of your little unison" he said, walking away as if he didn't care anymore.  
  
A guard hesitantly opened up my bars and let me, out, and I stepped into freedom, half expecting to have guns pointed at me again.  
  
"Sweet freedom!" I shouted as Braska and the other guy marched out. I began following them.  
  
"So what's a summer-ner anyway?" I asked, placing my hands behind my head.  
  
"Are you still drunk?" the short haired one asked as I walked outside.  
  
"I don't know what anything is! All I know is that I'm from Zanarkand and I need to get back home."  
  
"Really . . . " Braska started, as if he didn't believe me. "And what's your name?"  
  
"My name's Jecht. I know you're Braska, but this is . . . "  
  
"Auron" he said without turning around as he shifted with Braska to the sidewalk.  
  
"We are close to Zanarkand, but before we go there we must backtrack and visit other temples"  
  
"Temples? For what!?" I asked, outraged that I couldn't go straight to Zanarkand. "I'll just go back myself!"  
  
"You'll never make it past the fiends alone" Auron said.  
  
You may not think it, but I accepted he was telling the truth.  
  
"Well, what are temples?"  
  
Auron and Braska turned around and stared at me, then turned around again and started walking.  
  
"I was in Zanarkand, on my boat, and then this monster took me here!"  
  
Braska stopped and looked at me sadly.  
  
"Jecht, Zanarkand was destroyed 990 years ago."  
  
I didn't believe it.  
  
"You must not remember anything because of Sin's toxin."  
  
"Is that what that monster was? Sin?"  
  
Braska gave me a description and everything fit perfectly.  
  
"So, where did this Sin come from?" I asked nervously.  
  
Auron looked down.  
  
"Is Sin's toxin really that bad?" he asked Braska.  
  
"It does seem rather bad . . . "  
  
"I'll tell you what happened!" I started.  
  
"Sin took me into the future 1000 years!"  
  
The both looked at each other and laughed.  
  
"Sin only appeared 990 years ago! Why would he go back in time just to take you?" Auron asked through chuckles.  
  
"I'm serious! Why don't you believe me?" The two started walking off, and I followed them.  
  
"So where are we going?" I asked.  
  
"We are going to my house to rest up for the pilgrimage."  
  
"Pilgrimage? What does a guardian do?"  
  
"Protects the summoner."  
  
I now had the feeling they felt I should know these things, but I had no idea where I was. 1000 years into the future?  
  
"Who is the summoner, and what do they do?" I asked.  
  
Auron scoffed, and I could tell he was getting tired of my questions.  
  
"I am the summoner, and I summon aeons" Braska answered as we turned the corner. Night had come in now, and I hadn't slept in a while.  
  
"What are aeons, and why do you summon them?"  
  
"I'll finish later" Braska said, yawning.  
  
Auron turned to me.  
  
"Take this, you'll need it."  
  
He handed me a red longsword.  
  
"I hope you know how to use it."  
  
Auron took out his katana as we turned the corner to a door, and Braska immediately pulled out his staff.  
  
I found that there were three tough-looking guys trying to get in.  
  
"Hey! Get away from my house!" the gentle exterior of Braska melted in a second.  
  
"Or what?"  
  
Auron used his sword to block Braska, but it didn't work.  
  
He began to twirl his staff.  
  
"What's that, a girly dance?" One thug asked as he cracked his knuckles.  
  
The sky turned black and a symbol appeared. Then, out of nowhere a black dragon zoomed down and landed in front of me, and I was sent flying into the air. Auron was just looking amazed, and the thugs looked scared.  
  
"He has Bahamut! Let's get the hell outta here!"  
  
I ran up to try to fight that monster, I didn't know where it came from, but I stopped when I felt gentleness. It grabbed Braska onto its shoulder.  
  
"Mega Flare 'em!" Braska commanded.  
  
Auron grabbed me and we dove behind a crate. Bahamut tracked around a corner, charged up, and launched a beam. Fortunately the guys jumped out of the way just in time.  
  
"You are dismissed." Braska told the 'Bahamut', who flew up into the sky and disappeared.  
  
"See that?" Braska asked. "_That_ was an aeon."

:::::::::

Braska and Jecht opened the door, with Braska's key.  
  
"Don't go crazy." Braska warned.  
  
The door opened and I saw Braska's wife, Meilinna on the couch working on something, probably bills. No signs of abuse were evident, as she had probably used cure spells.  
  
She was surprised to see Braska and me apparently, because she tensed for a second.  
  
"Honey, my friends Auron and Jecht."  
  
"Hello" I said slowly.  
  
Jecht walked up and extended his hand.  
  
"Yo"  
  
She inspected the hand and shook it, and everyone was surprised.  
  
"Don't you notice anything about her?" Braska asked.  
  
"Come on, you have to see it . . . " I added.  
  
Her face was no longer bruised, I could tell.  
  
"You can't tell?" she asked.  
  
"Tell what?" Jecht was confused.  
  
Braska turned on the lights.  
  
"I still don't' see anything!" Jecht was frustrated.  
  
Meilinna walked close and stared him straight in the eye.  
  
"Whoa!" Jecht sounded surprised.  
  
"Yeah . . . " Braska said expectantly.  
  
"You have swirlies in your eyes!" I almost fell on my face.  
  
"You can't tell she's an Al Bhed?" I asked.  
  
"You're not an Al Bhed hater, are you?" she asked.  
  
" . . . What's an Al Bhed?"  
  
We all took a step back from the crazy one.  
  
"Yuna!" Braska called.  
  
Braska's little girl came running out of another room, launching herself into her father's arms at the sound of his voice.  
  
"Daddy!"  
  
"Who's the tike? She looks about the age of my big-headed boy who can't play blitzball"  
  
"Yuna, I would like you to meet Jecht, one of my guardians."  
  
The little girl turned to him and bowed.  
  
"Hello, Sir Jecht."  
  
"Hey there"  
  
"I'm beat" I said, walking to the left. I knew my way by heart to the guest rooms."  
  
"I'll see you all in the morning" I motioned for Jecht to follow me, and he did.  
  
The room had three beds and a window, but of course we only needed two. As I slept, Jecht would constantly ask me questions, and I began to wonder. Was this man truly from Zanarkand?

When I woke up, Jecht had already taken a shower and washed his clothes. I pulled the rest of mine on, yawned, and walked across the carpet, not yet wearing my boots. I followed him out of the door and down the hall to the kitchen, where I could see Braska and Meilinna sitting at the table, Braska reading a paper, and Meilinna poking her food as if she weren't hungry.  
  
"Mornin'" Jecht said, sitting down and immediately helping himself to whatever was on the table.  
  
"Good morning Jecht, Auron." Braska looked up from his paper and nodded.  
  
"Today, we leave, and you two will be official guardians."  
  
Jecht leaned back.  
  
"This'll be a bit of an adventure, right?"  
  
Yuna walked out of a door with a plate of hot pancakes topped with butter.  
  
"Here you go!" she said cheerfully. She said good morning to Jecht and I.  
  
Jecht looked carefully at her eyes.  
  
"You have the right eye of your father and the left of your mother, one's green and one's blue!"  
  
"Neat huh?" she asked, taking a seat next to me.  
  
I looked briefly at her. I couldn't believe Braska had been married and had had a kid for seven years behind my back. She had Braska's gentle demeanor.  
  
We sat there and talked for a while. Braska was already ready, and Jecht and I prepared ourselves.  
  
"Where're we headed?" Jecht asked me as he downed a cup of juice in the living room, brushing off his chest. It was then that a noticed the large tattoo, a trinity emblem?  
  
"We are going to Macalania temple" I responded, pulling on my boots. For the first time, I really looked at Jecht. He didn't look like anything from Bevelle. Those black shorts with the yellow cloth going down one leg, the dark skin, the long black hair, he just might have actually lived in Zanarkand. For Yevon's sake, the man didn't even wear any shoes!  
  
Yuna hugged her father, and went out the door, apparently to Braska's friends house.  
  
"We're about to leave" announced Braska.  
  
I shook my head.  
  
"How can Yuna be so calm about it? She gave you that quick hug? Se won't see you until you backtrack through here again!"  
  
Braska looked down.  
  
"She hides her tears. But I know we will meet again."  
  
"And then when you defeat Sin or whatever, right?" Jecht asked.  
  
We were both silent.  
  
Meilinna was crying, and trying to hide it, and she embraced Braska tightly.  
  
"Please, don't do this!" she held him tightly, as if she didn't intend to let him go.  
  
"I love you, Meilinna."  
  
"I love you too . . . "  
  
"This isn't our last time seeing each other, I'll see you again when I backtrack"  
  
I knew it was little comfort.  
  
The two had a good long kiss and I turned away, getting sick to my stomach. Finally, the lovebirds parted and Braska opened the door, and tossed the keys to Meilinna.  
  
"Take care" he said, blowing her a kiss.  
  
She shed another tear and blew the kiss back.  
  
Braska departed, and then Jecht and I waved goodbye and left as well.  
  
The Highbridge, which was only a bit to the left of us, was our path out of here, and into Macalania Forest. This would be our first test as summoners and guardians.

::::::::

My guardians, Auron and Jecht, walked behind me, and gradually came beside me. We turned the street to the long red road that led out of Bevelle, and I turned around and took one last look at it, and then turned back to the road ahead. As we walked down, Jecht began to complain.  
  
"What's goin' on?" he asked.  
  
"What do you mean?" Auron inquired.  
  
"You know! The parades, the crying women . . ."  
  
"This is it" I said, gesturing to the empty road.  
  
"But why?"  
  
"All the goodbyes, it makes one have second thoughts about leaving" Auron mentioned.  
  
"Well, there had better be something when we get back!" Jecht warned Bevelle itself.  
  
Auron noticed a sphere lying on the road.  
  
He walked over and picked it up, then turned it off.  
  
"It seems that our conversation was recorded . . . "  
  
"What are those things?" Jecht asked.  
  
"They record whatever is around, like a camera. They are called spheres." I told Jecht as Auron placed the sphere into his pocket. Later, I came upon a save sphere and touched it, and felt the life energy heal me after that long walk.  
  
I looked ahead into the open forest. Little did I know, we were in for quite the adventure. 


	2. Beginnings

The Trinity: Chapter Two  
  
By Blue Dragon  
  
I had only been to the Calm Lands a few times to train with the warrior monks, and I knew Braska had been here numerous times, but the big open area of the Calm Lands had been something to impress Jecht.  
  
"It's a field! A big flat field! There must be acres!"  
  
If you don't already know, the Calm Lands are just a wide open space full of nothing but grass, a rock here and there, and a couple of measly Al Bhed shops with chocobo dealers.  
  
"Hey, can you explain to me exactly what all this is? And what's going on?"  
  
"It'd be like telling things to a child with no knowledge whatsoever" Braska thought aloud.  
  
"Except children learn things gradually, and Jecht here wants to learn all at once."  
  
"Then teach me like a child . . . " Jecht suggested subtly as he walked out in front of us and down a slight slope, continuing near the edge of the bottom of a high cliff. The path he was taking lead to a small Al Bhed shop and a chocobo dealer, and that was where it would be best to go.  
  
"Sin is an entity born from Yevon, a god that governs us all. Sin was born because 990 years ago humans allowed the technology that they built to get too out of hand and ravaged the land with war. The land ravagers were known as machina-machines. Sin destroyed all the machina and continued causing chaos as punishment. When humans finally atone for their sins, Sin will be gone." Braska explained as he jogged up beside Jecht.  
  
"But what are we doing if we just have to atone?"  
  
"Yevon is generous enough to give us means to defeat Sin. Summoners travel from around Spira to obtain all aeons by praying at every temple, and then obtaining the final aeon at Zanarkand, who has the power to defeat Sin."  
  
"I don't understand! You've been trying for all this time to defeat Sin and you can't do it?"  
  
"Sin is defeated, but is reborn after ten years. The period where the world is free from Sin is called a calm."  
  
" . . . Oh. So Auron and I are protecting you from harm as you gather aeons, right?"  
  
"That's right."  
  
"Jecht, Braska, ready your weapons!" I called from behind the two.  
  
Braska trusted my instincts, but Jecht looked around like an idiot questioning my judgment.  
  
In a few seconds, two Basilisks slithered from behind a couple of boulders bordering the side of the bottom of the high cliff and hissed violently. Their long, snake-like bodies moved practically silently across the grass, and were trademarked by the four tentacles that stuck from the front and back of their body.  
  
"What the hell!?"  
  
It was obvious that Jecht had never seen a fiend before.  
  
"What are those things?"  
  
"Fiends. These are called Basilisks, but we're lucky we didn't run into a couple of Anacondours. Jecht, you and Auron take them, I'll aid from behind."  
  
Of course that was always the plan, Braska could fight but he was usually too busy with healing, and maybe a summon if things got hectic.  
  
"Why don't you just summon Bahamut all the time!?"  
  
Jecht asked, not following me as I charged forward.  
  
"It's exhausting, now help Auron!"  
  
Jecht finally followed and the two of us charged the left Basilisk, and it reared up for a slam.  
  
Jecht froze in fear but I kept going and sliced the thing in half, causing its entrails to fall from its stomach. They didn't hit the ground because it dissipated into a mass of pyreflies, in a way a reward for beating a fiend. Seeing those brightly colored spheres of light followed by the blue and purplish smoke was always a wonderful sight, almost commendation of defeating a fiend. The second one got Jecht twice in the arm as he helplessly slashed with his sword, slicing the side, but not enough to kill it.  
  
Jecht cried out as his abdomen was sliced across, but was immediately healed by a cure spell from Braska. When Jecht turned around to yell thanks, he was horrified to see him turned to stone by the Basilisk.  
  
The air around me grew hot and I charged forward, jumping and raising my sword so that the top of it was facing the ground, and stabbed it into the ground when I came down, causing a shockwave that didn't harm Jecht, but pained the Basilisk enough to disappear into nothing but pyreflies.  
  
I took my huge katana from my shoulder, balanced the top on the ground, and used my free hand to push back one of the strands of my hair.  
  
"That's how it's done!" I bragged.  
  
Jecht was pale faced.  
  
"Braska's a statue!"  
  
Braska, who was turned to stone, broke into a million pieces, and Jecht cried out.  
  
"He's gone! Auron, Braska's dead, don't you even care!?"  
  
I laughed.  
  
"Yevon has blessed the Spirans to be indestructible by such means."  
  
I pulled a vial out of my coat, walked up to the shattered Braska, and sprinkled some of the fluid, after which the statue reassembled. I sprinkled more and then Braska was turned back into the living human he was.  
  
"Thanks Auron, I was falling apart!"  
  
We started laughing like maniacs and Jecht was just staring.  
  
"You guys are damn sick. I couldn't even hurt those things! It was you two that did all the work."  
  
"Don't say that!" Braska comforted, putting away his staff.  
  
"You did wonderful for a first-timer." He continued as he put down the bag of our belongings.  
  
"Besides, that second Basilisk wouldn't have gone down so easily had you not weakened him."  
  
" . . . I know you're just trying to make me feel better" he plopped down on the ground and put his head on his elbow.  
  
"And we have to fight varieties of those things?"  
  
Braska began to explain.  
  
"I know black magic, and can damage the elemental creatures, you can attack the swift and flying creatures, and Auron will handle the slow, tough, and heavy ones. We make a great team, you just need a few pointers."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
Braska removed a sphere grid from his bag.  
  
"You see this?"  
  
Jecht stared at the three by three foot stone grid, full of tiny holes and that were connected, all of the paths of connection forming circles, spirals, lines, and intricate designs.  
  
"This is me." Braska pointed to one of the glowing spheres.  
  
"This grid has registered the three of us, being blessed by Yevon. It can hold up to fifteen people. We can become even stronger and learn things using it depending on the power of the fiends we kill."  
  
The glowing sphere on the grid that represented Braska lighted two more spaces of a path, causing two more spheres to glow, and Braska temporarily glowed.  
  
"I feel a bit stronger and better at magic now . . . "  
  
The sphere that represented me followed a small circular path and three more lighted up.  
  
"I think I learned how to Armor Break, and I feel a bit stronger" I commented.  
  
Jecht touched the grid, and quickly took away his hand.  
  
"That felt weird!"  
  
One sphere in the middle glowed once, then twice, and then stayed glowing. Jecht himself glowed and shivered.  
  
"I feel faster somehow . . . "  
  
"Good, you did some work after all. Jecht, your paths on the grid will be lighted yellow, mine will be lighted white, and Auron's orange."  
  
He was right, that was the color of the paths that we lighted up.  
  
"This is gonna look damn pretty if we make it through that whole grid" Jecht muttered.  
  
"There's more" Braska continued. "When we are pushed hard enough in battle, usually by excessive pain or will to live, we experience great physical excellence and are able to surpass our usual limits. For this reason, it's nicknamed "Overdrive". We don't know much about utilizing it, but I can summon aeons more often in that position, and Auron can execute moves, so far only one, from a code called "Bushido". The one he just did he calls . . . "  
  
"Dragon fang" I explained.  
  
"Right. Name your style and your move."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"For kicks, Jecht."  
  
Jecht shrugged.  
  
"I can't think of one."  
  
Suddenly, we heard two women shrieking and saw a man off in the distance drawing a harpoon and fighting off one of the wasp-like fiends.  
  
"Hey, we should help him!" Jecht quickly stood up and Braska put away the sphere gird.  
  
"He looks like he can take care of himself." I observed.  
  
Jecht only shrugged.  
  
"It's the right thing to do."  
  
He ran with his sword and I followed just in case, and Braska stayed at a distance.  
  
Jecht was an impressive runner, and closed the distance fast. (I was even more surprised that he could run in bare feet)  
  
He leapt up at the large wasp to the surprise of the man with the harpoon, who had been on the verge of being cornered in a mid-sized crevice.

:::::::::::

I brought down my sword, did a cartwheel and into a front-flip, and then a somersault that ended with me bringing down my sword, killing that damn wasp, as it dissipated.  
  
The man moved his hands in the blitzball sign for victory and bowed, and so did the women behind him.  
  
"Thank you, I appreciate the help."  
  
"Don't mention it." I said, rubbing the back of my head as the group went on their way to Bevelle.  
  
Auron and Jecht came behind me.  
  
"That looked good." Auron commented.  
  
"I felt tougher than usual when I did it." I observed, I didn't notice I had said it aloud.  
  
"It is likely that was an overdrive move. Do you have a name?"  
  
"Thunder slicer!"  
  
Auron stifled a laugh.  
  
"Less corny."  
  
"Slice."  
  
Braska shook his head.  
  
"Flashier."  
  
"Spiral cut?"  
  
Auron made the universal "it's okay . . . " sign with his hand.  
  
"What do you call the overdrive style?"  
  
"Swordplay."  
  
"I get it, you play blitzball, and are skilled with a sword." Auron observed.  
  
I never noticed that, but took credit for it anyway.  
  
I could have sworn my biceps grew a little bigger.  
  
"I think I got stronger" I announced.  
  
"That's the sphere grid for you" Auron said, walking past me with Braska. I put away my sword and followed them, and we turned away from the bottom of the cliff and started walking down the right middle to the Al Bhed shop.  
  
"Why're we goin' there?" I asked.  
  
"Because, I salvaged some gil from those Basilisks and we might be able to buy a few more weapons and use the save sphere." Auron explained to me.  
  
"Save sphere?"  
  
"They record your travels, a universal database for people to access. Sin's toxin must be really bad."  
  
"Sure . . . but do we really want everyone in our business?"  
  
Braska shrugged as he picked up the pace, probably worried about running into more fiends.  
  
"It isn't as if we have to do it, but it gives the people something to do and it allows us to look back on everything we've done. The sphere doesn't record anything truly private that the user wouldn't want, and it heals everyone around. Not only that, but they can transport you to set locations and can be means of teleportation to blitzball arenas."  
  
I perked up.  
  
"There's blitzball here!? When!? Where!?"  
  
Auron took a small drink of his whiskey from his jug and put it back on his belt.  
  
"In Luca there are large blitzball arenas, the games are being held soon. We'll probably make it in time to watch the games."  
  
I thought that was a little weird.  
  
"Watch and play blitzball with that Sin guy running amuck? Is this really the time?"  
  
They didn't respond.  
  
After half a minute of walking, Braska was at the counter of the shop buying some weapons, Auron was using the save sphere, and they gave me some gil to buy a few potions, softs, and couple of phoenix downs.  
  
They had given me some extra money, and I secretly used some to buy a few bottles of beer and sneak it into Braska's bag.  
  
When I turned around, I nearly jumped out of my shorts when I saw Braska, holding a sword out to me. This one was a bit longer, heavier, and greenish.  
  
"It's called the Tri-Steel. It can attack with fire, ice, and lighting. When we run out of space to carry weapons you can store some in the spheres around Spira."  
  
I took my original sword, walked over to the save sphere, and dangled it around, surprised when it turned blue and disappeared in a flurry of black smoke.  
  
"I warn you, not everyone can bring out the full potential of this sword, not even Auron can." Braska handed me the Tri-Steel, and I cautiously grabbed the hilt.  
  
Suddenly, electricity crackled around the sword, then fire swam around it, and then freezing mist rose off of it. Braska's eyes widened.  
  
"You will be a fine swordsman if you can do that." He tried touching the blade, and immediately recoiled when he got shocked, burned, and frostbitten all at once.  
  
It touched the blade and it didn't affect me.  
  
"Auron! You have to see this! Auron?"  
  
Braska turned around, and then ran over to the back of the shop, and I followed.  
  
"Hey, wait up!"  
  
When we rounded the corner, we saw Auron being cornered slowly by two fire flans and one of those wasp fiends.  
  
Light surrounded Auron, and a fire spell blazed over him.  
  
I charged in, jumped five feet, and stabbed the Tri-Steel into the fire flan, the ice immediately having an effect and turning it into nothin' but pyreflies!  
  
Auron couldn't hit the wasp at all, it was too agile.  
  
"Braska!" he called.  
  
A thunder spell struck the fiend and it fell to the ground, curled up its legs, and disappeared.  
  
Fire flans had shown up in Zanarkand every once in a while, it had always been a big deal and everyone would run scared until someone had the guts to shoot it or throw a rock. Now I was being burned by one . . . burned!?  
  
My leg was on fire, and I started screaming and rolling as the flan followed me, and Auron stabbed it downwards twice, and Braska finally finished it off with a blizzard spell, killing it as well. Then he put out the fire on my leg with a water spell, and I was drenched.  
  
I gotten up and started mumbling about my charred leg, walking past Braska to his bag that he had left in front of the shop.  
  
"You're welcome" he said after me sarcastically.  
  
I drank a few drops of a potion bottle and my burns disappeared, and then I tucked the bottle into my pocket.  
  
Auron walked up to me and pointed to the save sphere.  
  
"You could have just used that, you know."  
  
"So many of those things! Are we going to have to deal with this bull the whole time!?"  
  
Auron shrugged.  
  
"Part of being a guardian. This is hard on Braska too, you know. We haven't even made it to Macalania and he's already getting exhausted form magic casting."  
  
"True." Braska joined the conversation and picked up his bag.  
  
"I never expected I'd need to cast so much magic. You all always getting hurt and-"  
  
"Of course we're always getting hurt with all these fiends around! And you gotta cast magic on top of that, and what do we have to show for it?"  
  
Braska held out a handful of gil.  
  
"I salvaged this from the fiends. You and Auron take a fair portion, I already took mine."  
  
Auron grabbed half and I took what was left and put it in a cargo pocket of my shorts.  
  
"Can we rest?" I complained.  
  
Auron and Braska started laughing.  
  
"Rest? Sin doesn't rest, he could be destroying a city right now. We can't have a long rest until at least eighteen hours of undisturbed travel." Auron explained.  
  
"Eighteen hours!"  
  
"You'll get used to it. Now lets get going." Braska walked off with Auron, and as usual I followed behind them, this time having my Tri-Steel out and ready.

::::::::::::

Auron looked back at Jecht as we walked.  
  
"Jecht, you got that Tri-Steel to work. You'll probably become quite the swordsman."  
  
"Correction, I AM quite the swordsman."  
  
"I doubt you're a match for me."  
  
"Whatever. I'd destroy you."  
  
"As much as I'd like to test that claim, we must hurry. How about we pick up the pace, Braska?"  
  
I nodded, and started jogging with Auron beside me.  
  
"You can run in all those garments!?" Jecht was in disbelief.  
  
"It might not look like it, but these are made especially for fast movement, and don't get overheated easily."  
  
Jecht was panting heavily.  
  
"We just had a big fight! How can you run like that!?"  
  
"I thought you were a star blitzball player from a star team. You claim all that and you're out of shape?" I asked.  
  
"Screw that! If we were in the water I'd beat you all! What's the point of running if we're just gonna get tired?"  
  
Auron jerked a thumb behind Jecht, and he turned his head while running to see the Basilisk chasing us, and watched as it tuned the grass next to him into stone.  
  
"Ahhh!" that got him moving, he ran faster than us and blazed across the open field, and Auron shook his head in pity.  
  
"Think we should tell him he's going the wrong way?"  
  
"No, let him get tired."  
  
The Basilisk stopped chasing us and went around its business, and we found Jecht hiding behind a rock, but he wasn't hiding very well because his heavy breathing made it obvious where he was.  
  
I walked over to him and leaned on the rock.  
  
"Now what have we learned today?"  
  
"Don't overexert yourself . . . "  
  
"Precisely. That's why we jog and not go into full-out sprints."  
  
"Well, at least we're closer!"  
  
I shook my head.  
  
"Not really. You ran the wrong way."  
  
"Ahh! Dammit! I hate this guardian stuff!"  
  
Auron shrugged and pointed to the right.  
  
"That's where we have to go, near the edge of the cliff, and then back up a slope. At the top of that slope is the entrance to Macalania. Now how about we jog this time?"  
  
The three of us jogged, Jecht still carrying his sword.  
  
We got closer to the edge of the cliff, and Auron warned us.  
  
"Withdraw your weapons."  
  
I pulled out my staff, and this time, Jecht listened as well.  
  
A large Chimaera dropped out of nowhere.  
  
"What the hell!?" Jecht screamed.  
  
I could understand. The lower body was that of a Faun, the upper had two clawed arms, the head of a bull with another head of a lion and a hawk head, and at the back a tail that was a snake. It was this tail that would cast the magic.  
  
"We don't have time for this." I muttered.  
  
I twirled my staff, and out of the sky Bahamut came, ripping grass out of its roots as he flew low across the ground, and stopping beside me throwing nearby boulders into the air. He let out a mighty roar and looked at me for directions.  
  
I simply pointed to the Chimaera, and Jecht ran out of the way.  
  
I jumped on Bahamut's back and he got down on all fours, opened his mouth, roared, and let out a Mega-Flare attack that sent the Chimaera eighty feet into the distance, clear over the cliff, and off into the horizon.  
  
I dismissed Bahamut and walked to the edge of the cliff, my guardians following me. Over the horizon I saw a beautiful view of nothing but endless planes and forests, highlighted by the high sun, and even the edge of the continent.  
  
Jecht was in awe.  
  
"Look at all that land! There must not be a city for hundreds of miles!"  
  
"The cities drastically reduced in size and number since Sin came. Sin is attracted to large crowds, and more cities just instigate the use of machina. Spira has been like this for almost 1000 years." I explained as I turned and began walking up the slope that led to Macalania Forest.  
  
My legs were hurting a bit, and I bet my guardians' were, too.  
  
"What are we gonna do again?" Jecht asked.  
  
"Braska is going to Macalania Temple, not too far from here, to obtain another aeon."  
  
Auron and I both stopped.  
  
"Why'd you two stop?"  
  
I looked at Jecht's bare feet and chest, and then came to my senses.  
  
"Sorry about that, I was worried that you'd get cold in Macalania, but it's actually quite warm." I remembered as I went back to walking. We were now halfway up the slope.  
  
"We should have rented some chocobos . . . " I muttered.  
  
"Why'd you think I'd get cold?"  
  
"The ice and snow." Auron explained.  
  
"Ice and snow!?"  
  
"Don't worry, it's just a phenomenon caused by the fayth there. The cold of such places doesn't physically affect humans."  
  
"Another blessing of Yevon" Auron added.  
  
Soon we were at the top of the slope overlooking the plains that we had just crossed. Behind us was the entrance to Macalania Forest.  
  
I took one last look at Bevelle in the distance. I would be seeing it again, but still . . . "  
  
"Let's go." I said, walking in the forest.  
  
A few seconds later, I heard Jecht.  
  
"Whoa!"  
  
I didn't understand, and then chuckled to myself. It was like a child seeing everything for the first time.  
  
"I suppose if Sin's toxin wiped out your memory ----" Auron began.  
  
"I'm from Zanarkand" Jecht corrected.  
  
" . . . Sure. But I guess you don't remem-I mean, have seen these woods."  
  
The woods were high and the trees very common, blocking out all light and making the whole place dark and blue, but not at all eerie. The numerous crystals and starry shining path made places bright, and it was very enchanting overall.  
  
"Do we get to take the crystal path?"  
  
"Not yet, that leads to the Thunder Plains. We have to go to Macalania Temple first." I explained.  
  
Auron and I passed by the path and walked down the normal path, and we were immediately by the side path that led to the right, taking us to Macalania.  
  
This was a good thing, we didn't' have to fight any fiends, and I felt we had had to fight enough.  
  
Now all we had to do was make it to Macalania intact, and everything would be that simple; or so I thought.  
  
The three of us crossed the barrier of the forest and went into the ice and snow, the many icy cliffs in the distance, the white-clouded skies, and the howling winds. Only the power of an aeon could make a scene change so dramatically. Fortunately it wasn't the least bit cold.  
  
Jecht cautiously stepped on the snow, glad that he wasn't frostbitten immediately.  
  
"Lets go!" he yelled triumphantly.  
  
Not too far away from us was a travel industry of a sprawling businessman, Rin. Rin was very young, so it was impressive that he already had agencies worldwide, regardless of the fact that he was Al Bhed and most of his employees were, as well.

:::::::::::

"The Al Bhed travel agency, do you think they're selling Al Bhed Primers?" I asked Braska. He shook his head.  
  
"Even if they are, I already know the language, which is "heli" for "oui" all."  
  
Of course Jecht and I had no idea what he was talking about.  
  
At that moment Rin walked from behind the travel agency, holding a pile of what must have been Al Bhed Primers, and immediately greeted Braska. The two must have known each other, they got into a long conversation that was all in Al Bhed, and then later said goodbye.  
  
"What was that all about?" Jecht asked.  
  
"He was only warning me about some of the fiends ahead, they said there was a Wendigo running around."  
  
We continued on our way and as we walked over the snowy slope Jecht got bored.  
  
"So, how are your parents?"  
  
I shrugged.  
  
"Yours may still be alive in a world where there is no Sin, but my father is dead for sure, I buried him myself. I don't even know who or where my mother is, or if she is still alive."  
  
Braska shrugged as well.  
  
"I don't even know where I was born, but grew up in a Bevelle orphanage since I was two months old. The people there said that my parents were nowhere to be found amidst the ruins of a part of Bevelle destroyed by Sin."  
  
Jecht looked down.  
  
"All this because of Sin? Jeez, sorry, I didn't mean to bring up a touchy subject."  
  
"Don't worry, it was a long time ago." I said as I began to descend the snowy slope that we were previously ascending. Suddenly, my senses clicked.  
  
"Ready your weapons!" I commanded.  
  
Out of the sky dropped two snow flans, and a blue element with them. The blue elements were just assortments of blue stones surrounded by an aura of water, but they were still dangerous fiends.  
  
"A blue element must have wandered from Macalania Forest" Braska speculated.  
  
"Jecht, Tri-Steel the left one!" I commanded as I charged the right snow flan.  
  
Braska was drenched by the blue element and started sputtering water. Water summoned by magic is more dangerous than normal water.  
  
I slammed my blade down on the snow flan, but it was surprisingly hard. I began hacking away at it as I tried to dodge its frequent blizzard spells. Jecht began dodging as well, but soon defeated his snow flan. However, it was hard for him to help me without getting hit by the frequent spells of the other.  
  
Braska immediately struck down the blue element with a thunder spell, and tossed a potion to Jecht after he was hit with a blizzard spell.  
  
Finally, my hacking and slashing paid off and the snow flan went down.  
  
I muttered about there being no hard-shelled fiends for me to take care of, and we were on our way.  
  
The rest of the trip went by quietly, and we entered a valley between two steep snowy cliffs. Not too far ahead we could see the entrance to the main area of Macalania temple, and a save sphere.  
  
We could also hear the sound of the fayth singing the hymn.  
  
"Hey, who's singin' the hymn?" Jecht asked, looking around.  
  
"That would be the fayth here" I explained.  
  
"What exactly . . . are fayth?"  
  
"I see the fayth when I pray in temples for aeons. Fayth are just people who gave their lives for Yevon, immortalized in temples. The pyreflies make their dreams of entities, the aeons, come to life. When I pray to the fayth they entrust me with their aeon."  
  
After a few more minutes of walking, we saw fiends on the other side of a deep recess but they didn't bother trying to attack, and then we heard a roar that sounded far off.  
  
"What the heck is that?" Jecht asked.  
  
"Lets not stick around to find out." I said as Braska opened to door to the entrance. I touched the save sphere, then followed Braska and Jecht down the stairs, and at the bottom we saw a petite looking Al Bhed (obvious because of the outfit and goggles) sitting at the steps.  
  
"An Al Bhed?" Braska asked aloud.  
  
"How can you tell?" Jecht, of course.  
  
"The goggles, it used to be to avoid recognition, but now it's just a sort of trademark." I said casually, walking a bit ahead and stopping at the beginning of the final curving snowy path suspended over a deep recess, the path leading to the entrance to Macalania temple itself.  
  
Braska began carrying an Al Bhed conversation with the girl, and after a short while nodded and walked off.  
  
"What's up?" Jecht asked him as we started down the curving snowy path.  
  
"She said they wouldn't let her in because she was Al Bhed, she's cold, and has to wait here for a few hours for her gang to pick her up. I said I would bring her a blanket."  
  
"I thought people didn't get cold here."  
  
Braska turned to him.  
  
"It is highly mythed that Yevon does not put his protection over the Al Bhed, but many people believe it is because their bodies don't have a certain insulator that most Spirans do, it's highly controversial."  
  
"What's so bad about the Al Bhed?"  
  
"They . . . aren't always strict followers of Yevon, but that is a generalization. People consider them heathens and most people, especially holy men, don't like them at all. It's really no surprise that she wasn't aloud to warm up in the temple."  
  
I nodded my head in agreement.  
  
There was another long silence as we walked up to the entrance of Macalania Temple; it was the first time there for all three of us.  
  
"This is it . . . Braska said to himself as he entered."  
  
There was a roar again, this time not so far off. I was starting to get worried.  
  
"Sir." I addressed one of the holy men standing in front of the temple.  
  
"I fear a dangerous fiend is nearing, couldn't you please allow that Al Bhed girl in?"  
  
He shook his head vigorously.  
  
"We cannot let an Al Bhed in unless it means our lives!"  
  
"What if it means the life of another? I understand that you don't like the Al Bhed, but could you throw in a temporary truce, just to possibly keep her safe? I'm sure you wouldn't want a girl barely in her late teens to die, you know how cold it can be for the Al Bhed."  
  
The holy man looked at the others, looked down, and then sighed.  
  
"Call her in."  
  
I waved over to the girl, and she bolted up and started sprinting to the door, nodding her head in what must have been immense gratitude.  
  
I followed Jecht in, and entered the circular foyer of the temple just in time to see the door close behind Braska. He had gone through the entrance of the Cloister of Trials, at the top of the staircase located in the middle-back of the circular foyer.  
  
Jecht sat down on one of the side platforms at the edge of the foyer, looking around. The interior was impressive; it was my first time seeing it. There was a circle of clear plastic that took up the entire floor of the room, a strange blue mist floating under it. For some reason, the fayth wasn't singing as loudly as usual.  
  
The black-haired Al Bhed girl rushed in and rubbed the cold off of her, then looked around with a look that I had rarely seen: the search for someone warm. The first person she saw was who must have been a young monk apprentice, because she immediately wrapped herself around him, and the apprentice began looking around nervously. The other monks chuckled and backed away, the two becoming the centers of attention.  
  
Which is what brings me to thinking that the Al Bhed are still people, and it was times like these that people would really notice it.

:::::::::::

I wasn't really clear on what it was like in the Cloister of Trials or what it was supposed to be, but that didn't matter. Now that I was sitting around and not on the move, I couldn't help but think about my wife and kid back in Zanarkand.  
  
Were people looking for me? Were they missing me? I wasn't sure that I had quite accepted I was 1000 years in the future, but it was all pretty convincing.  
  
If Sin had been the link to this world, then could it also be the link from it? Back to Zanarkand? It was then that I decided I would have to follow Braska and Auron, if not to help them then to find Sin, then to use it to get back to my home.  
  
I looked up and saw a little boy with no shoes and a hood on his head staring at me, and then I noticed he was transparent, and then he disappeared completely.  
  
"I'm hallucinating again . . . I need to quit drinking."  
  
As I sat there waiting for nothing, a group of people decked out in blitzball uniform marched in. There were six of them, so I assumed that they were a team. Of course in Zanarkand the entire blitzball division consisted of teams from divisions of Zanarkand sectors, but now that I was in Spira I could bet that most small villages or cities had their own teams.  
  
"Let's hear it for the Luca Goers!" A monk cheered, right before everyone broke out into applause.  
  
"Aw screw it!" I said, laying back.  
  
Who must've been the captain of the team strode over to me.  
  
"You got something to say, shirtless?"  
  
"You bet your ass. I'm going be the one to take the championship title this year."  
  
"Really, and what team might you play for?"  
  
"The Zanarkand Abes!"  
  
The whole room was quiet, and it was just then that I had noticed Auron making the universal death symbol at me.  
  
Then the room broke into a fit of laughs, and the captain almost lost his footing.  
  
"If your team is as sturdy as that city you represent, then you probably won't do very well at all! I doubt you even HAVE a team!"  
  
"I-I'll get one!" I stammered.  
  
The commotion cleared and the blitzers went to one of the statues of what must have been some high summoner and started praying.  
  
"Hey Auron-" I started.  
  
"I don't play blitzball, and I wouldn't be part of a team that represented a ruined city." He immediately said.  
  
"Not that. Do you think that Braska will be able to defeat Sin?"  
  
Before Auron could answer, I heard the familiar roar, much louder, and much closer, and some human screams to go along with it. Auron and I looked at each other, nodded, and with a couple of warrior monks, ran out of the temple. 


	3. Transition

The Trinity: Chapter Three  
  
By Blue Dragon  
  
I immediately pulled out my katana and stormed out of the door, and I heard Jecht behind me, as well as the sound of metal scraping on a sheath.  
  
When I went out into the snowy frigidness, I noticed that all of the monks stood back in terror, and even rambunctious Jecht was hesitant. Standing at the snowy path was a huge ten-foot Wendigo, the abominable snowman, except twice as big with red eyes. We had been hearing it roar from far off, and now we were about to hear it up close.  
  
"MWWHUUUARR!"  
  
That was a roar that got my bones shaking.  
  
"Jecht" I gulped.  
  
"You ready for this?"  
  
He shook.  
  
"I don't guess I have much to lose . . . except all hope of seeing Zanarkand again."  
  
"How about we get this party started?"  
  
"You must be scared if you'd make a joke at a time like this, but lets kick some ass!"  
  
I don't know what in Spira we were thinking, but the two of us went forward at mach speed and charged right into that thing, both ignoring anything we had learned and stabbed it in the abdomen.  
  
"RUUAR!"  
  
The roar sent my hair flying back. Its breath was atrocious.  
  
The fiend picked up Jecht's sword, and ended up picking up Jecht, and lifted him clear above his head.  
  
"A-Auron!"  
  
"Hey, beast!"  
  
I ran around frantically swinging my sword at its feet and forcing it to stumble around. It was working pretty well, the thing hesitated throwing my partner.  
  
"Hiya!" I tornado slashed its ankle, and that did it. It dropped Jecht and swiped a massive paw at me, and the ground grew smaller as I reeled up thirty feet.  
  
"Aiiiiyeeeee!" I screamed like a little girl and Jecht watched in awe as I continued to fly higher.  
  
"Hey, I can see the Thunder Plains from up here!" I yelled. I look back on that now and imagine how ridiculous that must have sounded.  
  
The Wendigo roared again and began advancing on the crowd below, and I got a brilliant idea. I began to descend and I pointed the tip of my sword towards the ground.  
  
"Dragon Fang!"  
  
The blast washed harmlessly off of the crowd, but it sent the Wendigo just as high as I had been when I landed harmlessly on the snow. However, the beast wasn't so fortunate and went over the edge of the path, and to confirm its smite a herd of pyreflies floated up.  
  
Jecht patted me on the back.  
  
"That's the way!"  
  
". . . Thanks. I think I can Armor Break better than before . . . amazing."

:::::::::::

I was worried when I didn't find Auron or Jecht in the lobby of the temple, so I went outside to find the two celebrating, which left me relieved.  
  
"Hey, you two" I greeted as a group of monks went back into the temple.  
  
"What might you be celebrating?"  
  
Jecht laughed a hearty laugh.  
  
"Auron here just did the overdrive of the century, and sent a huge fiend off the cliff!"  
  
I smiled.  
  
"That's great news, congratulations, Auron."  
  
"Thank you, Braska."  
  
"I have even more good news. I got my next aeon."  
  
"Awesome, do we get to see it?"  
  
"I'm afraid not. They told me this one didn't like being summoned unless it was needed."  
  
"Oh . . . so is that all we have to do here then?" Jecht asked, tucking his sword back at his side.  
  
Auron looked at me expectantly, and I nodded.  
  
We began our way down the rest of the snowy path, all feeling optimistic about what was ahead. The wind blew in our faces harder, and I could have sworn it got colder . . .  
  
As we were on our way we said our goodbyes back towards the temple, and Jecht almost fell trying to show off while walking backwards.  
  
"Macalania Forest . . . not too far away now." I muttered.  
  
"Perhaps this pilgrimage thing won't be such a big fuss after all." Jecht, of course.  
  
"I wouldn't be so sure. We are still very early, and there is still much do."  
  
The wind howled in agreement, and subsided as we went below an underpass. After we came out from under it, I stopped, Auron and Jecht stopping behind me.  
  
"What, is there a fiend?" Auron asked nervously.  
  
"After this . . . I'll be the farthest away from home I have ever been."  
  
Auron paused.  
  
"Once I go passed Macalania . . . I will reach my limit."  
  
We looked at each other and nodded, then took our new steps. We. It wasn't much for Auron, but he said he hadn't been that far in a few years, and was about to reach his furthest.  
  
I would have thought that those new steps felt the same . . . but each one felt different and unsure. I wasn't sure what the future would bring.  
  
"Look, we have to keep on going." Jecht said, noticing we had slowed down.  
  
"Uh . . . how about we rest at one of those new Travel Agencies?" he asked, pointing to a small but well kept building, that sat in a crevice bordering the beginning of Macalania Forest and the end of this winter wonderland.  
  
I almost laughed. I could somehow tell that Auron only wanted us to rest at the Travel Agency because he wished to delay his first steps.  
  
I didn't want to believe he was a coward . . . that told me something about him that I never really verified. Was he cautious? Did he have a bad feeling about events passed home? I wondered.

::::::::

The two of us followed Braska this time as he plodded through the weird snow that left no prints and felt the handle of the door.  
  
Auron touched a save sphere, he seemed a bit tired, and then began scribbling a few quick records.  
  
A quick flash happened as a black light temporarily glowed around Auron to verify that the records were true, and then they disappeared.  
  
"Alright." Auron said.  
  
The three of us entered the extremely well furnished building and looked around a bit. It was a very colorful place, ornate rugs, carpentry, even counter. There was one picture of Ohalland on the wall behind the counter; they must have been fans of the Kilika Beasts.  
  
And then there were the weapons laid out on the high bluish counter, and the lazy person behind it half asleep.  
  
Auron yawned and walked up, inspecting the weapons, then raised his eyes towards the sleeping man.  
  
"Don't you think you should pay a little more attention to what you're doing? Someone could easily barge in here and rob you blind if they were quiet enough.  
  
"Ahh! Hey! Don't you know Guadosalam is supposed to be a quiet place?"  
  
"Aren't we in Macarena?" I asked.  
  
"Macalania . . . Oh! Heh heh! I got you there! I was just . . . uh . . . testing you. Well, you want to buy anything?"  
  
"Hmm." Braska looked at the assortment.  
  
"I see some nice things here . . . Jecht, here take these."  
  
Auron handed me his two swords and Braska his staff.  
  
"Put your sword in, too."  
  
"In where?" I asked Braska.  
  
"The save sphere, it stores items."  
  
". . . If you say so."  
  
I pushed the door open, surprised at how easily it moved.  
  
After I had inched it open a bit more I looked to the sphere, and then leaned down. I touched it slightly, and my whole body tingled.  
  
I tried putting the weapons on the clear blue sphere and I jumped as they sunk in with a loud groaning sound.  
  
Then the sphere broke and fell.  
  
"Ahh! Help!"  
  
The shopkeeper, Braska, and Auron came out, looking at me, and then stared at the busted sphere.  
  
". . . I killed it."  
  
"Don't worry, that damn thing's always breaking, I'll have it fixed and running in a little while . . . don't worry too much about it." The shopkeeper said.  
  
"Besides, as long as it took in your weapons you shouldn't have to worry about it."  
  
He looked to Braska and rubbed a few flakes of snow from his eyebrows.  
  
"As for you, everything's 85 gil."  
  
"I only have 100 gil notes."  
  
"Buy ten weapons, then it'll be even."  
  
". . . "  
  
"I have some extra gil coins, I can handle it." Auron mentioned.  
  
"Good good . . . "muttered the shopkeeper, but he didn't sound pleased.  
  
"I'll leave the money on the table. Could we get a room?" Braska asked.  
  
"Sure, buy three weapons and get a room free."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
The three of us went back in while the shopkeeper started cursing at the sphere, and Braska picked out a very fine looking sword, a bigger katana, and then a fancy staff, after which Auron left 255 gil.  
  
We walked around the corner and down the hallway into an empty room with three beds, a couch, and a table.  
  
"I call window!" I immediately ran over to a window and plopped down on the bed next to it, surprised at how tired I had been.  
  
Auron eyed the weapons with a puzzled expression, sitting down on a seat as ornate as the rugs in the lobby.  
  
"Braska, these weapons that you bought aren't the strongest ones, what's up?"  
  
Braska only smiled a wild smile.  
  
"I've come up with a killer strategy. I bought myself a Thunder Staff, I gave you a Fira Blade, and Jecht here a Liquid Steel."  
  
"Ohh . . . that will actually come in a lot of use, now that you say such things, Braska"  
  
"Precisely, and not only that, but we get to teach Jecht a few things."  
  
"Wha . . .?"  
  
"You'll find out . . . "They both said, laughing creepily and giving me the willies.  
  
"Der . . . so, you guys have other friends, don't you?"  
  
"Forget us, Jecht, you're the one with the outrageous story. How are your kids in . . . "Auron started chuckling. "Zanarkand."  
  
"My kid . . . crap I forgot all about him. That whiny runt . . . I'll bet he's crying his eyes out for me! Heheheheheheh! But his momma . . . he's such a momma's boy. Why—"  
  
"You know what I think?" Braska interrupted me.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You talk so down about your kid, but I think you really love him."  
  
"What gave you that idea!?" How had he discovered my secret?  
  
"Because, you keep talking down about him, but even for someone who would dislike a person you sure do talk about him a whole lot . . . as a matter of fact he seems to come up every time you think about Zanarkand."  
  
". . . Th-that's crazy talk! He has his momma to love him! Loving isn't a guy thing."  
  
"Sure . . . "Auron muttered.  
  
"By the way Braska, speaking of families how was Meilinna doing?"  
  
Braska looked down.  
  
"Well . . . she was still hurt when we were alone. I healed all of that. All you need is a bit of love and some wine and—"  
  
"Stop right there, you sick, sick monkey." I commanded.  
  
"Hey, you have a child, you should know how to romance."  
  
"Don't offend Auron, he's never been that close with a woman . . . "I began.  
  
Auron looked down.  
  
"Don't feel bad . . . "Braska muttered.  
  
"Auron, you aren't someone who would—"  
  
It was then that I realized it.  
  
"Auron! You aren't looking sad because you feel left out! You're looking sad because . . . !"  
  
Braska covered his mouth.  
  
"Auron! You should be ashamed of yourself! You're supposed to be an unmarried monk! That means you should have been abstinent! How could you defile yourself!?"  
  
Auron blushed.  
  
"I met her when I was just a young monk! She was so cute and all over me and . . . "  
  
"Spare ME the details." I cut in.  
  
"Oh please. Braska, Jecht, all the monks aren't as holy as you think. We may all be unmarried, but you'd be surprised at how much they get around. We are all defiled."  
  
Braska laughed.  
  
"So this is the true face of the highest holy men of Bevelle? A bunch of wily man-whores?"  
  
"I'll bet. Maybe that says something about Bevelle . . . "I suggested.  
  
Auron looked away. "Let us not go there, someone might overhear us."  
  
We were all quiet, and decided to get some rest soon after.

We didn't rest long.

:::::::::

"FIIIEEEENDS!" It was the man at the counter, and he didn't sound happy. Auron was up in a flash and motioned for his katana. I tossed him the Fira Blade and immediately it began burning, save the hilt. I pulled out the Thunder Staff and it began crackling with electricity. Finally, I tossed Jecht the Liquid Steel and bubbles began floating.  
  
"Let's go!" I warned as we flew into action.  
  
After we hastily turned a corner, two huge Lashamatsu greeted us.  
  
"I thought those only lived in Djose!" Auron yelled desperately.  
  
"Forget it! Waste 'em!" Jecht warned us. The two huge yellow-spotted reptiles were making their way to the counter and eyeing the man behind it hungrily.  
  
"Let's see how you like a mouthful of sword!" Jecht ran by and slashed both of them in a row with the end of his Liquid steel, and the monsters were instantly drenched. They let out a huge bellow, but kept ticking.  
  
"Speed it up!" I warned as the two began a charge. I cast haste on Auron, who immediately dove for another with inhuman speed, and then slashed across the middle, cutting it almost in half.  
  
The second was bounding towards Jecht who was running back the other way for a charge, and I got it across the face with my staff twice, and then rammed the edge into its spine. The hard scales made it seem dauntless, but I knew I had had an effect.  
  
"Triple raid!" Jecht called. The three of us dove towards the center were the beasts looked angrier than ever, and slashed across the middle. There was a blinding flash as all three elements hit and the monsters dissipated into a mass of pyreflies.  
  
"Yeah! Faster than ever!" Jecht announced slashing the air, and then flipping his sword up to catch it by the hilt.  
  
"I'm sure we all feel that way." Auron mumbled while checking to see if the man at the counter was all right.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
The man nodded and shakily handed us gil. He looked as if he had seen a ghost.  
  
"Yevon forgive me, I doubled the prices. Please accept this!"  
  
"It's alright, it's alright, just stay alert. You are a weapons salesman after all."  
  
The man nodded and clutched his heart.  
  
"You all be careful."  
  
We thanked him, and were on our way. I had grossly underestimated the amount of battles that would ensue. 


	4. Invincibility

The Trinity: Chapter Four  
  
By Blue Dragon  
  
When we reached the border of Macalania Forest, we all stopped. It was a pretty sudden change in appearance, from mild Tundra to a warm and dark crystal forest. Huge beautiful spheres glowed and winked and crystals hung down from the high tops of trees. Through the thick branches you could see hints of the bright sky, that also dramatically changed, but the sun was blocked out.  
  
"We sure are seeing some incredible places." Jecht's eyes scanned the surroundings. "You ought to get something for little Yuna."  
  
"Maybe so . . . "Braska was holding a sphere to record Jecht and I.  
  
"Auron, stand next to Jecht for a second." I did so, but not very happily.  
  
"We don't have time for this!" I reminded him.  
  
"Come on, what's the hurry?" he asked while walking into the forest with Braska.  
  
"I'll tell you what the hurry is . . . "I answered, following him as Braska turned off the sphere.  
  
"While we sit here enjoying ourselves Sin is killing people."  
  
The three of us noticed that the path ahead of us was shrouded in shadows, making the forest even darker, but still glowing due to the crystals. The path itself branched in three ways and we were wondering which path to take next.  
  
"Stop! Leave me alone!" He burst from the bushes and ran past us, down the left path.  
  
"Was that an Al Bhed?" Jecht asked in surprise, noticing the goggles.  
  
"I actually think so . . . many Al Bhed hide their eyes to avoid recognition."Braska was about to follow him, but three monks burst from the bushes and chased after him.  
  
"I've heard that that is a dead end, let us help him!" Braska ran down after the mobile melee.  
  
I sighed as Jecht followed. Wasn't it bad enough that we were all further from home than we had ever been? I stormed after them, knowing they were bound to get themselves into trouble.  
  
I jumped over a few sticks and branches, past the bushes, and finally under a broken branch into a small enclosed clearing to find Jecht and Braska staring at a young Al Bhed child with blonde hair and a nervous look upon his tanned face.  
  
"Listen, you aren't stealing from us again!"  
  
"I swear Mr. Monkey—"  
  
"Monk!"  
  
"I wasn't stealing, I just wanted to look at the prices. I wanted to learn to run my own store some day and—"  
  
"You're going to be behind bars. Who'll believe some Al Bhed runt?"  
  
"But Mr. Monkey I—"  
  
"Monk! You're coming with us!"  
  
Jecht was the first to step forward. "Hey, the kid said he wasn't stealing. Why won't you let him go?"  
  
"His father was a thief and so is he! Now stay out of this!"  
  
Jecht stepped forward a bit closer. "You need to step down, baldies. He's innocent until proven guilty."  
  
The three monks stared at the kid and then back to Jecht. "A little kid isn't worth it. We'll be back if you look too suspicious." One monk warned as he dropped him and walked off, still giving him suspicious stares.  
  
Braska made his way up to the young child.  
  
"What is your name?" He asked, looking down at him. The child appeared very grateful, and then looked at Braska as if he had recognized him from somewhere.  
  
"T-Thank you so much! I thought they would put me in jail!"  
  
"You're welcome kid. I just don't like to see people pushed around." Jecht nodded.  
  
The child looked up at Braska. "My name is Rin. I just really liked business and shops . . . and thought that Spira could use more of them for travelers and summoners. There are only one or two agencies, and I wanted to make my own and put them all around Spira. So I started scouting them out and—"  
  
"You don't have to explain yourself to us." I told him.  
  
He nodded to me, and then began to leave. "I'll repay you somehow, I promise. I almost have enough to start putting my stores up all over the place."  
  
"How do you plan on keeping them running?" Braska asked.  
  
He smiled. "Its all part of my master plan. See you around!" And that was the last we saw of him for a while.  
  
For a second, the three of us stood an embraced the quiet; the tranquility. It wasn't something that we very often had the chance to have.  
  
"I'm sensing that feeling again . . . "I muttered.  
  
"What is it?" Braska asked me.  
  
"Silence before the storm. We enjoy tranquility like this, only to discover the storm. It's an awful feeling. I can never enjoy myself because of it."  
  
Braska rolled his eyes and held my shoulder.  
  
"You're such a stiff, man." Jecht noticed. "You're so negative all the time. Why don't you focus on the positive, for a change?"  
  
I breathed out.  
  
"For some reason, I've never really been able to concentrate on that . . . "Another few moments of silence. Maybe we just wanted to embrace the tranquility; maybe we didn't want to get to the 'storm'. Or maybe Jecht just had the biggest mouth of all of us, because he didn't wait to break the silence that we enjoyed so much. Amazing what you can appreciate when in scarce.  
  
"Well, we got a ways to go, lets get moving."  
  
"Hold on, I know a place here, excellent for recording spheres." Braska called to Jecht as he began backtracking.  
  
"Oh yeah? Why would I want to go there?"  
  
". . . In the off chance that your boy ever comes here, you can leave spheres all around. Maybe I should leave some for Yuna; you never know."  
  
Jecht sighed deeply.  
  
"Alright then, I'll leave one." I didn't ever find out; but I am sure his exasperation came at the thought of him never going back to Zanarkand; rather than the thought of having to make another stop.  
  
The three of us assumed formation and made our way directly across the main path towards a more watery path. It was as if an invisible barrier protected us from the crystal waters below as we advanced on a huge crystal. I tossed Braska a sphere to record Jecht on.  
  
The dark-skinned man stopped in the middle of the floating pool and turned.  
  
"Hey, kid . . . ya listenin' to me? If you're here . . . it means that you're stuck . . . like me. And you had better NOT be crying! I wanted you to know that . . . that . . . aw never mind, I'm no good at this. Braska, turn it off."  
  
"Come on, I know you have a bit more than that."  
  
I began to tap my foot impatiently.  
  
"What I wanted to say . . . son . . . is that I'm proud of you, remember that. Okay, can you turn it off now?"  
  
Braska turned it off and smiled quickly. "Don't be so worried. There's a low chance he's ever going to actually see it."  
  
"Yeah sure . . . lets go."  
  
I led the way back and to the left; down the main path that was mostly a mild labyrinth of what appeared to be tree branches.  
  
The three of us made our way down one path; the glowing crystals lighting our way, our footsteps echoing in the serenity that we were growing used to. And then our hopes were shattered. The silence broke.  
  
Three Blue Elements screeched and flew out of the nearby crystals, chased by what appeared to be a Xiphos.  
  
"Aw dammit." Jecht flipped out his sword as the odd group took one look at us and charged over to our location, the pointed feet of the Xiphos hitting the ground like pointed pistons of a primitive engine.  
  
"Spread out!" I commanded, swinging my katana over my shoulder and towards the first blue element. To my dismay, it was barely effective and the fiend countered with a water spell. I let out a yell as I was thrown off balance by the pure hydraulic force and hanging helplessly off of the end of the branch.  
  
"I gotcha!" Jecht slid over, and before he could offer his hand was charged in the rump by the snarling Xiphos.  
  
"Braska!" We both yelled. The man was already a bit busy casting lighting spells, one of which slowed down the Xiphos; two more turning a couple of Blue Elements into nothing but pyreflies. I flipped myself up and landed in a slash upon the Xiphos, not quite piercing it but still damaging it.  
  
"Come on! You all can do better than that!" Jecht yelled as he took another swing at the Xiphos. I can't explain it, but I felt stronger from hearing the encouraging words and took a mighty swing at the last blue element, almost finishing it off. Braska finally finished the job with another thunder spell and Jecht turned the Xiphos into nothing.  
  
"Can't . . . touch . . . this!" Jecht sheathed his sword and tried to take a step, only to limp noticeably and cry out a bit.  
  
"Are you alright?" Braska walked over to examine the wound.  
  
"Not really . . . "  
  
I tossed him a spare potion that he didn't hesitate to drink and stand up straight.  
  
"We don't want to exhaust our summoner." I told him as the three of us took a few breaths of relief. Naturally; we didn't rest long.  
  
We were about halfway through the labyrinth before two fiends resembling large lizards ran visibly from the end of the path, and we ran to meet them.  
  
Jecht ran towards the closest fiend, flipping and pulling out his sword at the same time, and finally landing in a vertical slash that quickly tore the fiend in half. Braska renewed Jecht's strength with a quick Cure spell, and I followed up with a running slash, my muscles aching from the power running through them. The fiend's body flew back into a tree and didn't hit the ground as it was occupied with its disappearance to only a few lone pyreflies that eventually left the world of the living themselves.  
  
We said nothing as we continued on our way, feeling stronger, and perhaps the slightest bit angrier. All of our assumptions were correct; the tranquility was always quickly shattered. There was almost always a strong Silence Before the Storm.  
  
Still without words and silent fury the three of us started jogging, and this time Jecht was careful not to run. The anger at every fiend in existence fueled us; until of course we heard the sound of people talking in the distance. Braska grew angrier by the minute; the obnoxious men from Bevelle.  
  
"Ignore them, Braska." I warned. It was Jecht, of course, that had needed the warning.  
  
"You guys lost or something?" He asked, noticing they seemed to be wandering around, exchanging atrocious jokes and looking for trouble.  
  
One man looked him up and down like he was some sort of barbarian; not to say that I blamed him.  
  
"What is it to you? You seem to be the lost one."  
  
"Just tryin' to be helpful . . . "He turned to us. "Let's go."  
  
We continued our jog, but not before Braska locked eyes with the group.  
  
Down at the end of the labyrinth, a lone guado stared at us as if we were demons from hell, and halted us with a hand.  
  
The three of us briskly and impatiently stopped in front of the young guado, waiting for whatever reason he had stopped us.  
  
"A woman told me to give this to you . . . "The guado handed Braska the note and ran off on his way. Braska read the note and his face softened.  
  
"My wife . . . in about two weeks she's sailing to see her brother."  
  
"Finally talking to you two again?" I asked.  
  
"Wait, what?" Jecht was clueless, as usual.  
  
"Loverboy here went down to the Al Bhed home. He wanted his people to unite with the Al Bhed. He met with Meilinna there and ran off with her into the desert—"  
  
"That's not exactly how it happe—"  
  
"And." I cut him off. "Not only that, but he even took her down to Bevelle and before you know it, the two are married and she's about to have his child. You can imagine how enraged her brother Cid was, especially in light of the hatred between the common man and the Al Bhed."  
  
Braska looked down in resignation. "He's right . . . but everything is going smoothly now. I just hope an Al Bhed in Bevelle doesn't face too much adversity . . . "  
  
We were silent, and then again continued on our way. I could already see the lighting in the distance . . .

::::::::::::

For once, my mind actually stopped going back to Zanarkand. Back to my son, my wife, my career . . . and blitzball. I missed them all, really. I had learned by then that the more you try not to think about something the more you think about it, so naturally I had to just forget about it all together.  
  
"Zanarkand . . . is it really nothing but ruins?" Damn my homesickness, but I couldn't help it.  
  
They both sighed. Maybe they finally conceded to believe I was from Zanarkand . . . or maybe they were just fed up with me.  
  
"Nothing but ruins, Jecht. I'm sorry." Braska's words, of course.  
  
The three of us saw the glowing light of the save sphere in the distance, and it was then that I cursed myself again. Not for thinking about Zanarkand, but because I had gotten too used to that quiet. And before quiet there's always another fight; and I should have known that it was coming. But I didn't understand until it came, and when it came it truly came.  
  
We all predicted it, and it was the time that Braska prepared to summon Shiva. The Chimera jumped for the trees, staring at us with those bloodied eyes, screaming that horrid scream and hissing at us with the snake of a tail.  
  
Auron rolled his eyes; nothing seemed to shake this guy!  
  
"Come on! I've fought old ladies tougher than you!"  
  
Three white beams hit the ground, and as the beast roared in front of the sphere as a figure outlined itself while three huge blocks of ice fell before it. Its face became clear; a beautiful aeon; an ice goddess that calmed us simply with her presence. She dropped down towards us and landed swiftly, and then she tossed her blanket of ice. Braska grabbed it as Auron and I ran to safety, and the Chimera charged.  
  
"Give it a piece of heaven." Braska suggested. The aeon nodded and lifted her hands, and as if heaven itself was answering, a chunk of ice that made me cold just staring at it dropped from nowhere and crushed the beast, severely delaying it but not halting it.  
  
Shiva elegantly dodged the beast as it ran for her.  
  
"Anger of the unsent turns to hatred—"Auron yelled to me as Shiva cast a blizzaga spell at the unsuspecting creature that countered with a thundara.  
  
"And then that hatred becomes fuel for a fiend. The greater the hatred, the stronger the fiend!" Auron finished as he watched Shiva place a perfect axe kick into the beasts head.  
  
There was a sickening crack as it fell.  
  
"Thank you." Braska bowed his head slightly and the aeon silently nodded, before jumping into the dark sky and leaving our sight.  
  
The three of us nodded to each other, and finally continued to the save sphere.  
  
Braska touched the sphere slowly and our bodies felt rejuvenated. It recorded the records of our travels and stopped glowing.  
  
". . . Where to now?" I asked slowly.  
  
"We're headed through the thunder plains, and then Guadosalam. I haven't talked to the guado in a while." Braska thought aloud.  
  
"Why are they called the thunder plains?" I asked. I saw the flash of lighting and then the sound of it; a place where the lighting's strike always exceeded the sound of the thunder.  
  
"You'll find out." Auron replied grimly.  
  
We still had a ways to go out of Macalania forest, but for the first time, I really did feel invincible. 


End file.
